After Packers' stunning tie with Cowboys, where are they in NFL power rankings?

After playing the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys, the supposed Super-Bowl-contending Green Bay Packers need a week off.

A week off to work on a comedy of errors against arguably the worst offensive team and worst defensive team in the league.

Let that sink in.

After appearing to be among the best teams in the NFL over the first two weeks of the season, the Packers collapsed in the final minutes at 1-3 Cleveland and then played the Cowboys — who have given up the most points in the NFL — to a 40-40 tie. Ouch!

Based on the sloppiness of the Packers‘ last 64 minutes of football, it appeared likely they’d drop significanly in NFL power rankings.

But the dominant wins the first two weeks of the season and the continued hype of Micah Parsons continue to keep the Packers in the upper group of teams, despite being 2-1-1. After their bye, they’ll continue a favorable stretch in their schedule when they face the 1-3 Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field.

Here’s a rundown of where the Packers stand in NFL power rankings going into Week 5:

The Packers actually rose a spot after the tie with the Cowboys, thanks to losses by the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers. Josh Kendall and Chad Graff highlighted a rookie from each team and, for Green Bay, chose wide receiver Matthew Golden:

“The first-round wide receiver had career highs in catches (five) and yards (58) Sunday night against the Cowboys, but he’s still looking for his first NFL touchdown.”

The Packers moved up a spot here, too, though Gary Davenport said the shine from the team’s fast start has faded:

“Are the Packers playoff contenders? Of course. But the Micah Parsons acquisition aside, until a cluttered wideout corps clears up, Green Bay is also still the second-tier team in the NFC it was a year ago.”

Pete Prisco dropped the Packers two spots and spelled out numerous reasons why:

“The tie in Dallas actually has to feel like a loss. The defense suddenly fell apart. The end-of-game management was awful, too.”

The Packers fell three spots in rankings that focused this week on each team’s biggest issue on offense. For the Packers, Rob Demovsky said it’s penalties:

“It’s especially problematic on the offensive line, although it could be partially due to all the moving parts, with injuries to left guard Aaron Banks (groin) and right tackle Zach Tom (oblique). Their fill-ins, Jordan Morgan for Banks and Darian Kinnard for Tom, combined for three penalties against the Cowboys. Each player was called for a hold, and Kinnard was also called for a false start. Morgan has three penalties in four games. The Packers lead the league with 10 false start penalties, and only three teams have more offensive holding calls than the Packers’ nine this season.”

Frank Schwab dropped the Packers two spots and questions what we know about the team:

“Through two games and 56 minutes of the third game, the Packers looked like one of the best teams in football. Then they collapsed against the Browns and barely got a tie against the Cowboys. It’s hard to know what to make of the Packers now, but a lot of the shine is definitely off.”

The Packers sat tight at No. 6, with Christian D’Andrea — like many fans and media — puzzled.

“Green Bay’s genuinely bizarre clock management cost it a win in Dallas, both at the end of the first half and in overtime. I have no idea if this team is actually good or just a random event generator wrapped in green and gold. At the very least, the Packers are entertaining in a hate-watch way.”

Another stand-pat ranking, with Eric Edholm noting a negative trend:

“With the way this season began, hitting the bye at 2-1-1 feels like a colossal disappointment. The Packers started hearing Super Bowl talk after their dismantling of the Lions in Week 1, but that feels premature now. Perhaps they’ll be fine, but they just blew a fourth-quarter lead for the second time in as many weeks, eventually leading to a 40-40 tie with the Cowboys. The offensive line is missing a few parts and must get healthier in the coming weeks.”

The Packers improved one spot, with Nate Davis saying they might benefit from the weekend off:

“Squandering fourth-quarter leads in consecutive weeks is hardly an optimal way to enter the bye week for a team that should be 4-0. What coach Matt LaFleur and Co. really need to work on is their two-minute drill and the sense of urgency that would seem inherent to overtime. Still, given the way injuries are piling up here, the week off might be arriving at just the right time.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: After Packers’ tie with Cowboys, where are they in NFL power rankings?

After Packers’ stunning tie with Cowboys, where are they in NFL power rankings?

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